There are all kinds of teachers. Caffeine addicts, noobs, drones, oldies...but every once in a while, there's a good one. Ms. Bixby is beyond good. For Brand, Topher, and Steve, she makes learning worthwhile, in school and in life. With her pink-striped hair, she's one of a kind. So when Ms. Bixby announces suddenly that she cannot finish the school year due to illness, the three boys take it upon themselves to give her the last day she deserves. The plan is risky—dangerous and illegal, even—but they're determined. Through the three very different stories they tell, we begin to understand what Ms. Bixby means to each of them—and what the three of them mean to each other.

This. I laughed, I cried, I celebrated, I mourned. Yes, this is one of those books. Anderson has done a fabulous job. On the one hand, he nailed boy's middle-school humor. I laughed a lot—booger scenes, girl cooties, big sister problems, and more. Great for the target audience! But man, it's still got a heavy dose of sad. And yes, Anderson does an expert job of interweaving the two, but I still didn't like the sad. (Why could none of the boys have a good home/family life? Why was the plan they carried out have to be fraught with so much failure? Gah!). I understand the need for the contrast, and it definitely added amazing depth to the story and characters, but my personal reaction was one too many sighs.

But! That's really my personal reaction. Honestly, the writing, the characters, the story are so well done. The characters! Man, reading from each of the three boys' perspective reveals a lot, including (but not limited to) helicopter parents, absent parents, depressed parent, amazing talents, insecurities galore, imagination, happiness, sadness, and just a hint of LGBT exploration. These guys were well done.

In the end, I reminisced about my great teachers, mourned the cruelty of cancer, and sighed a sad sigh among the laughs. Good for old and young alike, give it a try!

Goblin cheerily lives in a cosy, rat-infested dungeon with his only friend, Skeleton. Every day, Goblin and Skeleton play with the treasure in their dungeon. But one day, a gang of "heroic" adventurers bursts in. These marauders trash the place, steal all the treasure, and make off with Skeleton―leaving Goblin all alone! It's up to Goblin to save the day. But first he's going to have to leave the dungeon and find out how the rest of the world feels about goblins.

I have to say: when I want to introduce my children to the awesome nerdy world of high fantasy, this will be the book I'll read. A perfectly hilarious homage to the D&D-Tolkien-RPG-fantasy culture, it's pretty obvious that this will be a favorite among us geekier adults. Hatke just got the characters and art down perfectly. Oh man, the illustrations! Besides caricature-ing the classic fantasy roles, the emotions and actions of the little (yes, and slightly cute) goblin give needed support to the simple storyline. They're fantastically done.

In the end, however, the story itself isn't my favorite. The jokes fell a bit flat, the pacing was just slightly off (he finds Skeleton pretty quickly and easily, after only a couple bad run-ins), and while it's great Goblin finds some friends, why did he say he was king? Feels a bit like a lie. Honestly, it's just a great nerdy book and I'd still recommend it to the right people. I just really appreciate the fact that it's a true fantasy picture book―let's get our kids introduced the good stuff!

Monday, June 27

Phew, this was totally supposed to go up on Friday and I just kept adding more and more books! There's a lot of good stuff out there, which ended up surprising me a little bit because this is the age group that I often have the hardest time finding books to recommend. I've always felt it got a little lost in the shuffle between easy readers/early chapter books and middle grade fiction.

But! Without further ado, a flowchart of animal-themed books for kids aged 8 - 11 years.

These books are all chapter books, all have some illustrations/photos in them, and are great stories. Some I'd still double check what would be good for the right age (one might lend itself better to the 11-year-old than the 8-year-old). Some are classic, some are brand new. There's something for everyone, for sure.

Also, I have a link to download the printable poster: a pdf on Google Drive. It's sized 11" x 42" so you could, technically, print it on five landscape-oriented letter-sized pages. In any case, it's nice to have as a reference when recommending books!

Kid-genius and inventor Frank Einstein loves figuring out how the world works by creating household contraptions that are part science, part imagination, and definitely unusual. This time, an uneventful experiment in his garage-lab, a lightning storm, and a flash of electricity bring Frank’s inventions—the robots Klink and Klank—to life! Not exactly the ideal lab partners, the wisecracking Klink and the overly expressive Klank nonetheless help Frank attempt to perfect his antimatter motor invention...until Frank’s archnemesis, T. Edison, steals Klink and Klank for his evil doomsday plan!

There is so much to appreciate about this book—educational and humorous, first and foremost. Klink and Klank are perfect comic relief to Frank's thoroughly scientific observations and plans. The book examines six different aspects of scientific study (starting, of course, with matter), discusses experimentation, breaks down the scientific method, and still makes time for cow-fart jokes, Captain Underpants, and a lovable HugMeMonkey. (Not necessarily my brand of humor, but I know lots of kids will love it).

But beyond humor and science, the actual aspects of the book are still great, too. The illustrations have just enough cartoon-ish aspect to keep things light and fun, while still including the occasional plan breakdown and scientific figure. The characters are pretty great—I love the relationship Frank has with this grandpa, and with his best friend Watson. However, some complaints... T. Edison. He just seems to be the token bad guy for no particular reason; hopefully the later books will delve deeper into his character. Also, I wish Frank's parents weren't portrayed as foolish or ignorant.

In the end, this is a great chapter book to get kids confident about reading, excited about science, and laughing to themselves. Recommended for sure.

When a young boy embarks on a journey alone...he trails a colony of penguins,
undulates in a smack of jellyfish,
clasps hands with a family of stars,
naps for a night in a bed of clams,
and follows a trail of shells,
finding a tribe of friends.

This was a really fascinating and somewhat unique picture book—I'm impressed. The text is purely a listing off of the different nomenclatures for animal & object groupings. By itself, it wouldn't make much sense. And yet, in conjunction with some amazing illustrations, the book tells are heartwarming story. The boy just wants to find a place where he belongs, and does his best to fit in with the band of gorillas (yes, they're all playing instruments) or the troop of monkeys (doing their best soldier impersonations) but he keeps getting rejected or left behind. The style of illustration itself is rather unique, using a sponge-like texture in its paint. Smith has created a rugged and soft story, full of movement and warmth.

The touches of humor, the perfect ending, and the amazing art make for an engaging book. Yet, I don't know that it'd work in a storytime setting. It'd be wonderful in the classroom, either as an art study or (even more fun) nomenclature study (kids could have fun afterwards discovering more grouping names). And of course, it begs to be read on the lap of a parent, with careful study of each illustration. Definitely recommended!

Over 400 photos combined were used to create these habitat-by-habitat guides that provide kids with the perfect bite-sized views of their favorite farm animals and wild animals. Arranged thematically with focus on animal behavior and family relationships, young readers will explore sections about animal bodies, baby animals, food, play time, conservation and more. Special book features include Quick Bites sidebars with cool animal facts, simple infographics, and illustrated maps from life on the Africa Savannah to life on the farm.

Combined, yes, I gave the books a 4-star rating. Because, really, they are great—especially the photos (So. Many. Gorgeous. Photos. They do these "vistas" with a huge double-page-spread photo of an awesome animal and I love it.). But in this case, I did like Farm Animals a little better than Wild Animals mainly because it felt like the latter was trying to cover SO MUCH. I mean, there are a LOT of wild animals. A lot. So that book felt a bit more scattered. Granted, it has quite the range of exciting animals that I'm sure kids will love. Farm Animals is concentrated and comprehensive and a bit more unified.

In either case, kids will love poring over these books and learning all sorts of fun, random facts (did you know that giraffes only need about a half hour of sleep in a 24-hour period? Talk about your party animal...). And while the organization may feel a bit random at times, there are super helpful glossaries and indexes (indices?) in the back. There's also content online, like these fact cards. I definitely recommend these books.

Obviously—because now I'm doing a massive let's-celebrate-zoo-month-with-totally-awesome-animals-books GIVEAWAY! In this giveaway, you'll get FIVE books from Animal Planet including these two books just reviewed, the previous two books in the Animal Bites series (Polar Animals & Ocean Animals) that I reviewed back here, AND the Animal Atlas that I reviewed last week! Enter below:

Open to the US only, ends 5/3/2016. No purchase is necessary. Void where prohibited. We and the publisher/publicity department are not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged items. If you are under 13, please get a parent or guardian's permission to enter. Winner will be chosen randomly via Rafflecopter after the contest ends. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to to the email, otherwise we will pick a new winner.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me emily{at}literaryhoots{dot}com

Growing up in the shadows cast by two world wars, Annabelle has lived a mostly quiet, steady life in her small Pennsylvania town. Until the day new student Betty Glengarry walks into her class. Betty quickly reveals herself to be cruel and manipulative, and while her bullying seems isolated at first, things quickly escalate, and reclusive World War I veteran Toby becomes a target of her attacks. While others have always seen Toby’s strangeness, Annabelle knows only kindness. She will soon need to find the courage to stand as a lone voice of justice as tensions mount.

This has been one of the hardest books I've ever had to review. It goes something along these lines: I hate that I love it, and love that I hate it. In terms of objectively judging its merits, it's amazing. The story is completely engrossing; I could not put it down and read it straight through (though there was a bit of a two-climax-ending that made it not as smooth). The writing is quite literally some of the best I've ever seen, to the point where I didn't even notice it as I was reading. I was just in it. The characters were beautifully done, with strong moments of heartbreak, love, and development. I could leave it at that and give it five stars to go with all the other starred-reviews and laud it has already received. A Newbery contender for sure!

But then there's the actual story itself. This expert writing with strong characters told a story that just about made me sick. Betty is the cruelest of bullies, doing things that I wouldn't want just anybody (or that is to say any child) reading. My anxiety while reading this was through the roof. Granted, Wolk did balance the evil with a lot of good, with sweet moments of reprieve. But I will say now, the ending is realistic—not happy. When I finished, I had to just sit for a long while, processing everything. It was a powerful story.

So in the end, the simple fact that this book could elicit such strong emotions is testament to its masterful writing. However, I recommend it carefully. It's not for every child. As a parent or teacher, I would read it first. It's perfect for discussion on so many difficult topics. So be prepared, read it, and perhaps you'll hate/love it as I did.

Friday, June 17

If a picture is worth a thousand words...what's a GIF worth? I think they're hilarious, really. And I often find myself laughing at the Goodreads reviews that include them. So when I found this post from Verbosity Reviews, I had to copy the idea. Yes, I'm showing my rating system in GIFs.

It's 1920's Chicago, the guns-and-gangster era of Al Capone—and not only is ten-year-old Isabel Feeney selling the Tribune on the street corner, she wants to be behind the scenes reporting for it. It's her dream to be just like the famous Maude Collier, front page journalist and top crime reporter. She can't believe her luck when she stumbles not only into a real-live murder scene, but also into her journalist hero. But when it's a loyal customer that's landed in jail as the top suspect, Isabel—smart, curious, loyal, and full of spunk—fights to defend the honor of her accused friend.

A thoroughly enticing representation of a nitty-gritty era! It is an excellent historical piece, touching on the effects of the Prohibition, the Great War, women in the work place, influenza & polio, and the news media. And of course, the regular headline of gangsters and murder, which makes the book particularly exciting. A full range of characters, with their own motives and ideas, fit well in the time period and are believable.

However, it was not my favorite. While the cast of characters on a whole was appreciable, Isabel herself became rather annoying. Which is unfortunate when the whole book is told from her perspective; the writing was repetitive and a tad immature. And every. single. shock. in the story line marked the end of a chapter. Like a chapter had to end with a cliffhanger. Yes, it drives the story, but for such a long book, the effect starts to wear off after a while. I admit, I started to roll my eyes every time it happened.

In the end, I can see kids really enjoying it. And I wouldn't mind recommending it, since it will satisfy their need for excitement and I'd be glad they'd be getting a good, historical piece. But I'm still not the biggest fan.

Wednesday, June 15

I'm going camping this weekend! Woo! Going to escape some of this AZ heat and retreat to the mountains. So that got me thinking about doing a camping storytime, and luckily there's lots of ideas out there (like Storytime Katie, or Sunflower Storytime, or Storytimes with Moxie). But I still wanted to come up with an original idea for a flannel. So here it is:

Tuesday, June 14

Hey did you know that June is National Zoos & Aquariums Month? If you can't make it to the zoo, you can still explore all kinds of animals with books. Try this one out, and stick around--next week I'll be hosting a giveaway with all kinds of animal-tastic reading material!

Animal Planet Animal Atlas
Written by James Buckley, Jr., illustrations by Aaron Meshon

Animal Planet's definitive atlas of animal life takes readers on a continent-by-continent and habitat-by-habitat passport to adventure! Meet fierce snow leopards in the Tibetan mountains, giant helicopter damselflies in the rain forests of Central America, majestic eagles in the temperate forests of North America, and hundreds more fascinating creatures.

Wow! Really well done—my brain feels jam-packed with information after reading this one. Things that I love? First and foremost: great organization. It breaks down each continent into its different biomes and then examines the native creatures there—everything from the smallest insects to the biggest mammals. It's not comprehensive (obviously, it's a kids book, people) but includes the most well-known of animals (e.g. lion, tiger, bear—oh my!) and a fantastic assortment of the weird and wonderful. It can be read front to back (it reads like we're traveling from continent to continent), or you can pick and choose randomly with each page spread being great on its own (index in the back helps find specifics, too). It has fantastic pictures; large spreads without being busy or competitive. And of course, just enough text to provide fascinating little facts.

My one small, small complaint would be the illustrations—I do with they were a bit more realistic (used for the maps and some animals) since it is a nonfiction book (for example, is that a tiger on the cover in Asia...?). But hey, that's just my preference. Otherwise, really well done and would be a lot of fun for kids to pore over.

When Hensel and Gretel’s dad gets snatched by a fox, the sisters put their ninja skills to work to track him down before he can be stir-fried. But are these two little chicks ready to take on a dark tangled forest, a tricky house made of corn bread, and an even trickier fox? This plucky pair isn’t giving up without a fight! Kiya!

Okay, I started out pretty biased because I was SO EXCITED for this book! Another ninja fairy tale??? I mean, after I loved the first two, it only makes sense that this one would be good. Now, while Ninja Chicks did not unseat Ninja Red Riding Hood as my favorite (that one makes me laugh the most), it was well done. I'm still THOROUGHLY impressed by Schwartz's and Gomez's rhyming skills and loved that the story was told in verse (makes for a great readaloud, like in my ninja storytime!). It was also very action-packed and exciting, as one would expect when dealing with the martial arts. Of course, this action was greatly enhanced by Santat's amazing art (I know, no one's surprised; he is one of my favorite illustrators). I mean, he illustrated awesome ninja chickens—what's not to love?

Great readaloud, engaging story, and vivid illustrations make for another great ninja fairy tale. Give them all a try!

See Otto work. Work, work, work on a spaceship to take him home. Since landing on Earth, Otto has made many friends, but what Otto wants most is to visit his family. Will Otto’s spaceship take him up, up, up, so he can go, go, go?

I don't read as many pre-readers as I should, usually because I find them utterly boring and simply a tool to practice reading. Hearing some good things about Otto, I decided to give it a try...and loved it. It still sticks to the pre-reader style ("See Otto. See Otto look."), but this super simply text with the illustrations actually told a great story--a touch of humor and a lot of heart. This is what I appreciate: not sacrificing the story in order to practice simply vocabulary and reading skills. The two can go together!

And while the illustrations definitely helped tell the story, my one complaint its that they can be a tad too busy in places (it's the extra wiggle lines around all the outlines--they don't help). Still, overall, definitely a top recommendation in my opinion to get your readers started. Glad I read it!

"Curious kids who want to know the who/what/where of the coolest things on the planet will welcome this first book in an awesome new National Geographic Kids series. Every turn of the page presents a different theme and counts down the greatest of the great top 8 of its kind. For example: The Awesome 8 Coolest Coasters, Haughtiest Hotels, Wicked Water Slides, Perilous Predators, Remarkable Ruins, Weirdest Wonders, and anything else you can imagine. It's truly something you have to see to believe—which is why the entire list appears in photographs, layered with fun facts and insightful stories."

Wow. That was a lot of randomness. On the one hand, I really appreciate what these kinds of books have to offer: enticing photos, cool facts, a range of information, engaging graphics, and a pick-what-you-like format (as the authors say up front, no need to read front-to-back—especially with a rather comprehensive index in the back). Kids love these! There's just so much packed into one book, but so shallowly presented that just about anyone can find something they like.

On the other hand, however, that shallow information presented so randomly just about kills me. The eight in each category, while fascinating, don't always seem to be the "best of" and aren't really put in any particular order. Though, I will admit each list does still give enough of a taste that kids can do more research in a specific area, if they so choose. A small taste. A lick. Really, it's for those with short attention spans, am I right?

So, why I would still recommend this book for perusing, just know that it is not by any means in-depth or straightforward. In other words, many kids will love it. See what random information you can learn!

It's the first real summer since the accident that killed Cedar's father and younger brother, Ben. Cedar and what’s left of her family are returning to the town of Iron Creek for the summer. They’re just settling into their new house when a boy named Leo, dressed in costume, rides by on his bike. Intrigued, Cedar follows him to the renowned Summerlost theatre festival. Soon, she not only has a new friend in Leo and a job working concessions at the festival, she finds herself surrounded by mystery. The mystery of the tragic, too-short life of the Hollywood actress who haunts the halls of Summerlost. And the mystery of the strange gifts that keep appearing for Cedar.

You may be surprised at my rating given my usual response to tragic MG fiction. But you know when a book just gets you right in the feels? Heartfelt, emotional, real...gahhhh, this was a good one. A good sad. I will say first, however, a lot of my emotional attachment is due to my personal attachment. Having grown up in Salt Lake City and traveled down to Cedar City many a summer to attend the Utah Shakespeare Festival (which is, in large part, what the book is based on) made this whole book sentimental for me. So I had to like it, at least initially.

It was Condie's fantastic writing and an amazing story that took my love even further. The prose is simple, chapters are short, the text is almost poetic—big contributors to the emotions behind the story (maybe too lyrical in places, for the target audience anyway). The characters themselves were realistic, each having a particular scene or statement that just felt like truth (e.g. Cedar's mom in Act II, Chapter 33—the feels!). The little subplots that contribute to the greater story in subtle, appreciative ways—just added a nice touch. All of it. So wonderful.

So now this brings me to the recommendation. Not every middle-grader is going to like this. No. But the tender-hearted ones, perhaps. Maybe. And I still want people to read it. It just takes the right person, the right mood, Just be prepared for sad. Such good sad. Sigh...I'm still bummed it's over.

Friday, June 3

Activity books. Super under-appreciated, in my opinion. In the day of mindless social media and gaming, I think it's really nice to be able to hand a kid a book and say, "Here's a bunch of really cool ideas and activities, why don't you give it a browse?" But then again, there are SOO many diferent kinds of activity books to choose from! Where to start? What's even worth it? Well, this list may be able to get you started. Whether you're looking to expand your library collection, add more independent-learning-fun to your home schooling, or (better yet) looking to get your kids thinking and moving during the doldrums of summer vacation, hopefully this will get you inspired. Trust me, these books will get kids thinking creatively and having fun, just in time for summer!

George is looking for a job in order to raise money for a new bike, so when he sees a help wanted ad for Wormestall Farm, he goes for it. Before long, he's embroiled in a madcap adventure involving creatures both (supposedly) extinct and (previously thought to be) mythological, a new friend (a girl!), and a maniacal taxidermist who wants the animals of Wormestall Farm in her own private collection...stuffed, of course.

This was one of those I spot on the library shelf and was curious. But...I wanted it to be so much more fun than it was. In the end, it was pretty flat and cliché. Or perhaps I should say Flat and Cliché (yes, be prepared for the Random Capitalization writing style). There's some pretty snarky and dark humor with some things gross and other things violent. Perhaps I was hoping for something like Fablehaven, but got a twisted 101 Dalmatians instead. There's not much to be said of the characters--they are quirky, fun, and pretty much what you'd expect (e.g. the villain is quite villainous, with no redeeming qualities). The extra half star, though, for an exciting ending and for Lo (best character, easily).

Oh yeah, and the illustrations...well, they're there. Not much to celebrate or complain about. Anyways, I'm not in a rush to recommend it, but if this sounds like your cup of tea, then go for it.Find it at your library or on Amazon

The zoo isn't what it used to be. It's run down, and Hippo hardly ever gets any visitors. So he decides to set off for the outside with his friend Red Panda. To make it in the human world, Hippo will have to become a Hippopotamister: he'll have to act like a human, get a job, and wear a hat as a disguise. He's a good employee, whether he's a construction worker, a hair stylist, or a sous chef. But what he really needs is a job where he can be himself.

You know when a book ties in altogether perfectly by the end? That's what this did and it was so satisfying. The plot is really well done, with a good varied vocabulary for early readers. Plus, the illustrations are awesome, of course, being a graphic novel. Bonus! there's even a how-to section at the end for drawing the two main characters. I really liked this story.

However, the one small thing that bothered me a bit were the characters themselves. I wish the little red panda had owned up at the end or been more apologetic to Hippo about all the jobs he caused Hippo to lose. And Hippo was way too nice about it. So there wasn't a lot of depth there, which caused me some frustration. But hey, it is just a beginner book, so I can deal with it. So, really, overall I enjoyed this graphic novel and think a lot of young kids would enjoy it, too. Check it out!Find it at your library or on Amazon

And this here blog is a mish-mash of awesome resources for librar-ians, educators, and parents. Oh, and book lovers, too! Check out my storytime ideas, book reviews, book lists, library-isms, and more as I hoot about all things literary!